'Smartphones Are Smarter Than Their Users,' ID Theft Expert Says

Below:

Next story in Security

The next generation of smartphones will offer an abundance of
features to their owners, ranging from the unprecedented
convenience of browsing the Web at record speeds to purchasing
coffee, gas or even train tickets by simply scanning their phones
like credit cards.

But some identity-theft experts are concerned that mobile
technology is actually outpacing phone users’ abilities to fully
grasp it and to protect themselves.

NFC is a short-range wireless protocol that lets smartphones
communicate with dedicated readers at cash registers and other
point-of-purchase machines, much in the way an electronic toll
tag mounted in a car communicates with a tollbooth reader.
It will effectively turn future smartphones into payment devices.

Although NFC technology is not mainstream yet, a few phones,
including the Google Nexus S and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S
II, already include it. NFC-reading software is part of the
Android smartphone platform, and many more phones are expected to
enable NFC in the next year or two, including the iPhone 5.

But there’s a downside to this high-tech convenience — one that's
scarier than having to remember your friends’ numbers.

“If you drop [your phone] or lose it, it’s easier [for someone
else] to use than having someone’s wallet,” Goodman said.
“Nobody’s asking for your ID when you swipe your phone to pay at
the gas station.”

That means installing antivirus software on your Android or
Blackberry smartphone or tablet. (There is no antivirus software
for Apple iPhones and iPads — they are generally safe from
malware infection unless "jailbroken" to run unauthorized apps.)

Companies such as Lookout Mobile and McAfee make smartphone and
mobile device antivirus software that can provide users with a
strong line of defense against identity theft and malware.
Lookout Mobile’s antivirus package is free; McAfee VirusScan
Mobile costs $29.99.

While a strong antivirus foundation is often necessary, Krehel
and Goodman from IDT 911 said it’s even more important for end
users to understand the security risks of new technologies before
rushing to take advantage of them.